Display rack having improved joint structure



Nov. 17, 1959 H. J. RUBENSTEIN 2,913,124

DISPLAY RACK HAVING IMPROVED JOINT STRUCTURE Filed June 18, 1956 Unitedfiate me o [2,913,124, T DISPLAY RACK IMPRO ED JOINT w QTUR Harry J. RnbensteimiKansas .Cit ,,;Mo. Application June'18, 19 6, Serial Nil- 592,181 S CIaim s. f c1... 211-ss This invention relates to improvements in displayracks of the kind having aplurality of interconnected trays and has for its primary objectthe provision of improved joint structure at points of interconnection betweenthe trays designed to minimize costof manufacture and at the same time avoid damageto-articlesof,merchandise carried thereby by contact with sharp jagged ends of portions of the trays N at the aforementioned points of i d a Reference may be had to, my U. S Letters Patent No. 2,609,937, issued September 9,1952, for a clear. under-' standing of the broad principles of the display rack of the instant invention and wherein is shown a wire display rack provided with a plurality of article supporting trays diSPOSGdJiH stepped arrangement As in the invention about to be described, the trays of the display rack of said patent are each composed of a U-shaped back having upstanding, legs which are in turn provided with forwardly extending arms, the.latter of which form the bottoms of the trays;- In the invention disclosed by my patent, the manner of joining the bottoms of each tray with the backof the next adjacent tray included'the provision of lateral extensions on the arms forming the bottoms of the trays. Such construction has proved to be quite satisfactory from the standpoint of 'us'e'in that the lateral extensions eliminated the presentation of jagged edges which would otherwise tear or damage the articles of merchandise supported by the trays.

It is the most important object of the present invention, therefore, to reduce the cost of manufactureof display racks'in the nature of that disclosed by my patent by elimination of the aforementioned lateral extensions and the provision of a. novel'joint permittingth'e'forwardmost ends of the bottoms of the-trays to be quickly and easily severed without finishing or use of any forming step, and at 'the same timeavoiding the said problem of damage to the articles of merchandise.

Another important object of the instant invention is the provision of a display rack wherein the back of each tray is provided with rearwardly extending offsets at the points of joinder with the bottoms of proximal trays whereby to dispose the forwardmost, sharp, jagged, severed ends of the arms of the bottoms of the trays rearwardly of the front faces of the backs for the purpose of accomplishing the aforementioned advantages.

A further object of the instant invention is the provision of a tray that is universally adapted for receiving articles of merchandise of virtually any size.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a display rack having improved joint structure made pursuant to my present invention; 7

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view thereof;'

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary, detailed perspective view illustrating one of the joints; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a modified form of joint.

2,913,124 Patented Nov. 17, 1959 As in-the display rack ofmy patent aforementioned, the rack illustrated in the drawing is preferably made in its entirety from wire or rod material and consists of a number of trays, each of which is broadly designated by the numeral 10. While trays 10 are initially L-shaped, as seen in Fig. '1 when they are associated with next adjacent trays, there .is.' presented substantially U-shaped pockets 12 for receiving articles of merchandise such as pocket books, magazines, greeting cards, or virtually any other article adapted to fit within the pockets 12.

Each tray 10 comprises a back 14 and-a bottom 16. Backs 14 are each composed of a pair of U-shaped devices 18 and 20, the device 18 having a horizontal bight 22 and .a pair of spaced-apart legs 24and 26 depending from the bight 22. I Similarly, the device has a bight I 28 that is horizontally disposed and appreciably shorter than the bight 22together with a pair of legs 30 and 32 depending from the, bight 28 and disposed between the legs 24 and 26. Whether or not the device 20 is coplanar with the device 18 or disposed forwardly thereof as seen in Fig. 1 is of no consequence.

The legs 24, 26, 30' and 32 are provided with arms 34, 36, 38 and 40 extending forwardly from their lowermost ends and, disposed within a common horizontal plane, presenting the bottoms 16 for the trays 10. It is to be noted that the arms 34 and 36 are integral with the legs 24 and 26 andthatthe latter are integral with the bight 22; accordingly, the device 18 is formed from a single length of wire material. The device 20 may likewise be formed from a single length of Wire by virtue of the fact that legs'30 and 32 are integral with bight 28 and arms 38 and 40 are integral with legs 30 and 32.

The forwardmost ends of the arms or members 34, 36, 38 and 40 which extend forwardly from the lowermost end of the backs 14 are attached to the backs of next adjacent trays 10 intermediate the uppermost and lowermost ends of the'latter whereby a portion of each back 14 serves as'a front .42 for the tray therebehind. More specifically, the arms 34, 36, 38 and 40 are joined directly to corresponding legs or upstanding elements 24, 26, 30 and 32, respectively, of the back 14 of tray 10 next adjacent thereto. 7

When the arms 34,36, 38 and 40 are severed through use of automatic cuttingmechanism, there is, of course, presented relatively sharp, jagged edges at the forwardmost ends of the arms34, 36, 38 and 40 and, as above indicated, the problem was overcome in my Patent No. 2,609,937 by the provision of lateral extensions which were in turn spot-welded to the backs of adjacent trays. Such construction is', however, expensive in that it requires another bending operation and because of the fact that the spot-welding step was rather diflicult.

In eliminating the step of the display rack of my patent, it would become necessary, if the legs 24, 26, 30 and 32 were straight, to precisely hold the arms 34, 36, 38 and 40 in proper position overlapping the corresponding legs 24, 26, 30 and 32 so that such sharp ragged ends would not project forwardly beyond the front face of the back 14 and thereby cause difiiculty in insertion and removal of articles. The problem is not only that of ease of removal and insertion, but that of damage to the articles by ripping or tearing and otherwise damaging the same.

In accordance with the novel improvements of the instant invention, therefore, the legs 24, 26, 30 and 32 are each provided with a rearwardly extending offset 44 to which the arms 34, 36, 38 and 40 are spot-welded. By offsetting the backs 14 rearwardly in such manner, extreme care need not be exercised during the welding operation to prevent undue forward projection of the ragged ends because it is possible to fully overlap the arms with respect to the legs and thereby obtain a strong joint while at the Same time disposing the forwardmost free ends of the legs rearwardly ofthe front faces of the backs cult problems presented bythe construction suggested by 1 my aforesaid patent.

Manifestly, the display rack may be reinforced in any suitable manner such 'as by the provision of horizontal cross elements 46 and 48 joining the legs 24--26 and/ or legs 3t '32'as well as interconnecting the arms 34, 36, I

38 and). Additionally, it is apparent that the rack may be supported in any suitable manner and to this end, the pockets 12 may be extended downwardly and forwardly as .well as laterally-to any extent desired.

Finally, it is'to be noted that by the provision of the secondary device 20, the trays 10 are adaptedto accommodate even relatively small articles of merchandise which would otherwise fall from place between the legs 24, 26 .and between the arms 34 and 36.

While the joints 44 shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive are substantially triangular shaped, it may be advantageous to forrn the same in the manner illustrated by Fig. 5 of "the drawings wherein all parts are designated with the same numerals as in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive with the addition ofthe letter a. The offset 44a in the leg 24a has the arm 34:: spot-Welded to the side thereof in the same manner as above described but, whereas the bottoms of the trays-in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive are attached substantially at the apex of the V-shaped offsets 44, the bottoms of the trays when the modification of Fig. 5 is employed are attached near the uppermost extremities of the offsets 44a. 'The shape of the offsets 44a may be described as substantially an inverted J. 1 By such configuration virtually all of the offsets 44a are disposed below the upper faces of the bottoms of the trays, it being noted in Fig. 5 that very little, if any, of theoffsets 44a extend above such uppermost surfaces of the bottoms of the trays. Accordingly, when thepockets are completelyfilled with merchandise such as books, magazines or the like, the offsets 44a will not adversely interfere with such articles resting fiatly and firmly upon the bottoms of the trays even adjacent the fronts 42a thereof.

Having thus described the invention,-what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is: '1. In a display rack of the kind having a plurality of trays, each including a back and a bottom, said bottom having a forwardly-facing forwardmost end, said bottom of one tray being attached to the back of a second tray adjacent said forwardrnost end and intermediate the upper and lower ends of said last-mentioned back, whereby a portion of the latter serves as a front for said one tray,

said back of the second tray being rearwardly otfset at the joinder with said bottom ofthe one tray, said for wardmost end being. disposed rearwardly of the front face of the back of the second tray.

2. In a display rack of the kind having a plurality of trays, each including a back having a number of upstanding elements and a bottom having a number of members extending forwardly from the-lowermost end of the back, each nember having-a forwardly-facing forwardmost end,'said in'embers'of'onetray being attached to corresponding elements of a second tray adjacent said forwardmost ends andintermediate the upper and lower ends of said last-mentioned elements, whereby a portion of the back of the second tray serves as a front for said one tray, said elements of the second tray having rearweirdly-extending otfsets at the points of joinder with said members of the one tray, said forwardmost ends being disposed rearwardly of the front face of the back of the second tray. 5

'3. In a display rack of the kind having a plurality of trays, each including a substantially U-shaped back having a horizontal bight and a pair of spaced legs depending from the bight, the lowermost ends of the legs being provided with forwardly-extending arms, presenting a bottom, each arm having a forwardly-facing forwardmost end, said arms of one tray being attached insideby-side relationship to corresponding legs of a second tray adjacent said forwardmost ends and intermediate the upper and lower ends of said last-mentioned legs,

' ends being disposed rearwardly of the front face of the back of the second tray. 7

4. In a display rack as set forth in claim 3, wherein said offsets are substantially V-shaped and wherein said 2 arms join with {the ofifsets adjacent the apexes thereof.

5. In a display rack as set forth in claim 3, wherein said'oifsets are substantially J-shaped in inversion and wherein said armsv join the offsets adjacent the uppermost ends thereof. 1

' 7, References Cited in the file of this patent 1 UNITED STATES PATENTS 462,347 Yund' Nov. 3, 1891 866,634 Dunlap Sept. 24, 1907' 888,539 Simpson May 26, 1908 1,089,569 MacKinnon Mar. 10, 1914 2,313,245 Kent' a Mar. 9, 1943 2,600,755' Greensfelderh 111 16111952 2,609,937 

